Preparing for the Job Hunt: Tips from a Uni Career Adviser

It may be an old saying, but when it comes to looking for a job, it’s often true: ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know’.

That’s the advice of Becca Cole, a recruitment advisor at the University of Technology, Sydney.

As someone who helps students transition out of education into work, she says any new job hunter should leverage their network of friends, family and associates, as they hunt for potential employment.

Setting up a LinkedIn account, even while you’re still studying, will help you better connect with people you know on the job hunt.

“You never know where a person is going to end up, or what position they might be in a company,” she said in a chat with Hope 103.2.

Write a Great Resume and Get Ready for Interviews

Resumes are still essential on the job hunt, says Becca. They can really highlight who you are as a person. Becca’s advice is to limit them, where possible, to three pages.

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As you’re adding new details to your resume, particularly extra-curricular information, ask yourself, “Is this Important?”, “Does this add value to me as an employee?”, or “How is this going to set me apart?”

Once you’ve tended to your relationship network and developed a solid resume you might get the opportunity to interview for a position.

Before heading to the interview, spend some time preparing by researching the company, and understanding the role that you are applying for.

Prepare an Example of How you Handle Tough Situations

Many employers use behavioural questions to assess their applicants, so it also helps to prepare some answers to possible questions about how you would react in a job-related situation.

To prepare for this, Becca’s encouragement is to use the simple acronym, ‘STAR’, standing for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

Think about a situation you’ve been in, the task that you had to perform, the action you took, and explain the result. And stay succinct.

“You are telling a story but it is only really two to three minutes long,” Becca said.

More Info

Listen to the full interview with Becca Cole in the audio player above.